Welcome Bee-Loving Friend!
I have a question…
Do you ever think about beeswax? No?
That’s strange because I think about it quite often.
Maybe it’s because I have beehives in my backyard or maybe it’s because I use it in so many of my homemade skincare products. It fascinates me almost as much as my little friends who make it.
It’s such a useful substance and it might surprise you but it’s actually good for you. Unless you’re allergic which, unfortunately, some people are.
So I decided to let you in on my 5 favorite ways to use beeswax…and what to use if you can’t.
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When it comes to the beneficial products that bees produce, the wax often gets overlooked. It’s just wax, right? Wrong. While not as showy as it’s super-food sister, raw honey, the benefits of humble this humble wax are both surprising and fabulous.
Here are some of the amazing qualities of beeswax:
Protective—when applied to the skin it provides a barrier from environmental contaminants. It holds in moisture and reduces dryness which is why it’s often used in lip balms. But unlike petroleum jelly, it is also breathable so it doesn’t clog pores.
Humectant—it’s a substance that attracts water molecules, helping to keep skin hydrated.
Antibacterial—just like honey, beeswax is antibacterial, keeping skin clean and reducing the risk of infection.
Vitamin A—it’s surprisingly high in vitamin A which means it helps in cell turnover rates, reconstruction and skin elasticity.
Anti-Inflammatory—like honey, beeswax is anti-inflammatory and has been shown to help soothe burns, eczema and promote healing of wounds.
What Is Beeswax?
The wax is made by the female worker honeybees (what can’t these girls do?) in special wax-producing glands on their abdomens. The gland is able to convert sugar from the honey into a waxy substance which deposits as flakes that the other bees collect and chew in their mouths. Once it is ready it is used by the bees to build honeycomb.
It’s in these cells that they store the honey, pollen and raise their young.
The wax is smooth, brittle, has a slight honey aroma and is even edible.
Newly made comb is almost white but will turn light yellow and eventually brown as it ages and the bees clean and reuse it.
Important Note: When you buy beeswax you can find it in white or yellow. Though you might think the white is just brand new comb, it’s not. It’s yellow comb that has been highly refined and bleached and I suggest you avoid it.
I always recommend that you buy yellow beeswax and buy it from a local beekeeper if possible. If you can’t find it locally, you can usually find it at a health food store or there are several sources online.
Beeswax is sold in both blocks or pastilles with the latter being easier to measure and use for recipes.
Here are my 5 favorite ways to use beeswax:
1. Skin Salves–I make all kinds of skin salves and beeswax is a key ingredient. Not only does it give the salve the proper consistency, it also provides all sorts of benefits to the skin. Whether it’s Fabulous Skin Salve, Eczema Skin Salve or Fabulous Sleep Salve, beeswax is an essential ingredient when making these awesome skin soothing products.
2. Lip Balm–I’m a bit of a lip balm addict but, really, who isn’t? The natural moisturizers in beeswax make it perfect for your lips. You can easily treat problems like cracked or chapped lips with the addition of other such lip softening ingredients as coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, sweet almond oil, raw honey and pure essential oils. This wonderful all-natural lip balm is sure to make anyone smile. Click HERE for the recipe.
3. Lotion Bars–Lotion bars are a great skin product that people may not be familiar with but will love once they use them. The skin boosting properties of shea butter and extra-virgin olive oil, along with my favorite essential oils, combine to make a lotion bar that will fight off even the driest skin. Click HERE for the recipe.
4. Wood Polish–Store-bought wood polish can have some nasty ingredients. Making your own only requires beeswax, coconut oil and a little essential oil. It takes just a few minutes to whip up, and it will make even your dingiest wood shine like new. Click HERE for the recipe.
5. Candles–Beeswax candles burn brighter, don’t emit toxic fumes like parafin candles and, because burning them emits negative ions, it actually cleans the air. I found an awesome post on making your own candles HERE.
Is It Possible To Be Allergic To Beeswax?
Well, the answer is yes and no.
The problem isn’t the beeswax as pure beeswax has not been shown to cause an allergic reaction in people. More likely the allergic reaction is caused by propolis which is a sticky resinous substance that bees collect from the sap of trees, usually poplar and conifer trees.
The bees blend this substance with wax flakes secreted from glands on their abdomens and use this “glue” to line the cells of their honeycomb and to fill in gaps in the beeswax walls. If you’ve ever tried to pry the frames apart when inspecting your beehive you know that propolis is nature’s super-glue.
Some propolis remains mixed with the beeswax when it is harvested. It’s the propolis (or rather, certain constituents in the propolis) that can cause the allergic reaction, also known as contact dermatitis, in people who are sensitive to it.
So what can you use if you are allergic to beeswax?
4 Alternatives to Beeswax (pros and cons):
1. Candelilla Wax–
from the leaves of the candelilla shrub native to the southwest, candelilla wax has the same lubricating properties as beeswax but is harder and much less pliable. Use half the amount called for when substituting for beeswax. Same price as beeswax but you’ll use half the amount.
2. Carnuba Wax (Carnauba Wax)–
extracted from palm trees that grow in Brazil. I’m wary due to the environmental problems caused by palm oil production. Like candelilla wax, carnuba hardens twice as hard as beeswax, so reduce the amount of wax used in your recipe by at least half when replacing beeswax with carnuba wax. Price is higher than beeswax but again you’ll use half as much.
3. Soy Wax–
while most commonly used in candles it can also be used as a replacement for beeswax in lip balms, lotions and other cosmetics. My concern with soy anything is that if it’s not organic it is genetically modified. And yes, 98% of the soy grown in this country comes from GMO seed. The other 2% comes from growers who don’t make wax. Not to mention 99% of all soy wax on the market contains other waxes like paraffin, bees wax and palm wax.
That said, soy wax has the same hardness as beeswax so it can be used in equal amounts in recipes. It is significantly cheaper than the other waxes but you get what you pay for.
4. Bayberry Wax–
made by boiling the fruits of the myrica bush and skimming the vegetable tallow (it’s not a true wax) off the water’s surface. Bayberry wax is very hard and brittle so use half (or even less) than the amount of beeswax.
Bayberry wax is quite expensive, hard to find and has a very strong, earthy, resin-like aroma that will not be covered up by other fragrances.
There you go. Personally my choice would be candelilla wax if beeswax is not an option for you. Get it HERE.
We love our bees and are constantly amazed by their hard work and productivity.
Beeswax is just one of the many benefits we humans derive from bees and I hope for all our sakes, we can figure out how to save them.
What’s your favorite way to use beeswax?
Jeremie says
Hello I was wondering do you know if candelilla wax cleans the air and doesn’t produce harmful smoke like beeswax I am looking for a natural wax that I can get from planting a plant to create my own candles from scratch I don’t like using beeswax because it comes from damaging the bee hive
Joanna Pickford says
Use soy wax trim the wicks
GJ Amber says
Thank you so much for mentioning the alternatives to beeswax, as I am fatally allergic to honey and bee products.
Leah says
So glad I could help!
Jody @easypeasymom says
Thanks for sharing this! I’ve been wanting to buy some beeswax to make my own lip balm for awhile and this is a great place to start! Pinning, thanks for sharing!
Leah says
Hi Jody–thanks for stopping by. You should definitely make your own lip balm. I’ve been making it for a few years and will never buy it again. It’s so much better for your lips when it’s all-natural. Have a great week and come back soon!
–Leah
Amberose says
So…I started using natural products 2 years ago. I was familiar with the Burts Bees line of products but I never bought anything due to their prices. Chemicals were cheaper…lol…ya know? I make ALL of my own products now, but before I learned how I simply switched to more natural products from the shelf and Burts Bees was, for the most part, a pretty good option. Hey! Did you know that propolis was the second most common positive patch test allergen after nickel (everyone in our home has nickel sensitivities except Dad.) in children and the fourth most common in adolescents. After using the lip balm for a few weeks I developed what my Doc. thought was a staff infection around my mouth. It was AWFUL! I was NOT about to take the steroid medication prescribed for me without a second opinion…so I started researchind mouth rashes and found my propolis allergy! I was experiencing allergic contact cheilitis. When I stopped using the lip balm…my lips stopped trying to peel off of my face. I’m totally serious…Google Image it if you haven’t eaten…lol 😉 The reason for my little story is this – I was given some beeswax by a woman who JUST began bee keeping and said she had no interest in using any of it. I felt dissapointed because I knew we would not be able to use anything I made out of it. However…when I got home and opened the package…IT WAS PURE WHITE!!! Obviously this was not bleached. It came from her back yard. When I researched white bees wax I learned that the bees had not yet added propolis to the white wax! This wax was saved for the “IMPORTANT PEOPLE” back in the day…like royalty. I whipped up a batch of lip balm w/the wax, organic vitamin E, Shea Butter and Lanolin and have had ZERO reactions in myself OR my girls! Also…The bees live where we do, so most of what the bees have gotten into…we have already been exposed to just from living in our area. Local is AWESOME!!! Anyway…I hope this helps someone…ya never know. “WAX” for thought… 😉 lol
Kathy says
Thank you. That is very interesting. Thanks for sharing the info and what you use. Most helpful!
Lisa says
Thanks for sharing this – so much great info on beeswax! I will look for yellow beeswax now that I know the white can be bleached,
Cat says
Ooh such a great post! I have beeswax guilt: I bought some once to make lip balm but still have a load leftover and no idea what to do with it! (You can only have so many lip balms…) but I’m thinking a candle would be fantastic! Thanks for the tips 😉
Lisa says
I have tried beeswax to make my lip balms…but if i keep is out it juat melts after 3 to 4 days…donno y…i tried adding more beeswax to the quantity…but that made my balms very dry….can u please help
Leah says
Hi Lisa–sorry you’re having problems. Homemade lip balms don’t have the chemical stabilizers that a lot of commercial brands use and will therefore melt at lower temperatures, although they still should be fine if the temperature is in the 70’s. If you add more beeswax that will help but a a very small amount at a time. It will take a little testing. You could also try substituting a bit of your oilive oil for a soft oil such as shea butter or If you use shea butter already you could substitute a bit of it for a brittle one like cocoa butter. Again it will take a little experimenting but if your lip balm doesn’t turn out how you want it you can melt it down again and make one of the changes I suggested. Hope that helps. 🙂
–Leah
felicity says
I used to use Burts Bees products, but they were not moisturizing enough – and the overall quality not where I wanted it to be. I ONLY use natural products. I now have been using Made from Earth’s Valencia Orange Lotion, and I like it. It has alot of Beeswax in it. Will try it for another week and let you know how it goes. So far so good and it smells great!
Kathy says
What other natural products do you use? I like Mychelle.
Kori says
I’m so glad I came across your page! I have terrible allergies so using beeswax in the past has ended very poorly for me and cost me a lot of money to treat. Lol I love that you have given me options with how to substitute as well as additional pros and cons. I’ve already bookmarked your page!!! Thank you!!!
Leah says
You’re so welcome Kori! I love beeswax but allergies are nothing to mess around with so it’s important to provide people with alternatives. So glad it was helpful to you! Have a great day and come back soon.
–Leah
Samantha says
Love this, incredibly informative. Sooo against Carnuba Wax though for the reasons you mentioned.
I’m curious, is there any harm or adverse affect to the bees if we take the wax from them?
Leah says
Hi Samantha– thank-you for your thoughtful question. As a hobbyist beekeeper I am always concerned about the plight of bees especially with the colony collapse disorder that’s been going on for so many years now. As far as adverse affects caused by taking the honeycomb it’s always a balancing act. Bees are amazing at what they do, including making wax, and generally will do fine if some wax is taken as long as proper management techniques are used. Most beekeepers are concerned with doing as little damage to the bees as possible, since damaging the colony means reducing production. In good beekeeping practices, only a certain amount of honey (and comb with it) is taken so the bees have enough to last the winter. They clean and reuse existing comb over and over again and fix or build new comb where necessary. They really are the most organized, efficient and hard-working creatures on earth and truly deserve our respect. 🙂
–Leah
Beth Sain says
bethwsain@gmail.com TY … I will share and share this article. I’m scheduled to do a bee club presentation soon and this is excellent info. Lotions … I love making beeswax lotions, sell a few, and now I have more product ideas. TY
Gail says
Hello. Your comment about white beeswax is incorrect. I have my own hives and on occasion have had to remove some new comb. It is white as a babies bottom! It turns yellow from staining from pollen, honey, etc.
Elré says
Hello, I have recently started beekeeping as a hobby. Haven’t harvested any honey or wax yet. What is the process of getting usable wax, melting, cleaning etc??
Aaron Esau says
I make my mustache wax with it but looking for an alternative to reduce my impact on the bees. Favoring soy or candlilla. The other part is coconut oil.
Nanza says
Thank you so much!! Excellent info !! Please, do you know a local seller for beeswax pellets in USA? I live in Florida. Any help will be very appreciate!
Namaste!
Nanza
Dan says
Hi there, really interesting and informative article. I have recently started researching wax for my balm products and absolutely love bees wax but thought I would experiment with some vegan alternatives. Candelilla wax seems to be the stand out replacement,
yet I have seen quite a lot recently about unethical farm practices and exploitation of Mexican workers harvesting the wax including using sulphuric acid as part of the extraction process and I was wondering if this was something you have considered and whether your article warrants an update? especially so as you talk about the environmental considerations of soy and carnauba wax. Thanks again would love to hear your thoughts.
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Praj says
Hi
I am finding it difficult to understand what you meant in the below statement. You said yellow is to be avoided and then recommend it tooo.. Can you help me understand if yellow beeswax is safe or not ? Thanks
‘Though you might think the white is just brand new comb, it’s not. It’s yellow comb that has been highly refined and bleached and I suggest you avoid it.
I always recommend that you buy yellow beeswax and buy it from a local beekeeper if possible’
Suzanne says
This is so helpful! What a great way to give the products you need a natural spin!
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! How long is beeswax good for?
Lori Glenn says
Hi Leah, if a lotion bar recipe uses carnauba wax and I want to use beeswax, should I double the amount of beeswax? Thanks, Lori